Wagon end-gate



(No Model.)

- F. M. PIERCE & A. O. WARNER.

- WAGON END GATE. No. 593,813. Patented Nov. 16,1897.

6 I 4 I mmmomml 0607467276063 wotfl/ddiiv' 1 E v W MdW NITED STATES FFl3E.

PATENT FRANK M. PIERCE AND ALBERT c. WARNER, OF ALLENTOWN, ILLINOIS.

WAGON END-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,813, dated November16, 1897. Application filed March 22, 1897. Serial No 628,628. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, FRANK M. PIERCE and ALBERT C. WARNER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Allentown, in the county of Tazewell andState of-Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEnd- Gates; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inend-gates for wagonbeds, by means of which a simple means is providedfor connecting the end-gate witha wagon-bed that is simple and easy inmanipulation and well adapted for the purpose designed.

More particularly our invention relates to an end-gate adapted to beattached to the wagon-bed without making any positive bolt connectionsthat will in any way mar or deface the same.

vOur invention consists of a hangerplate adapted to engage the side ofthe bed, bearing over the edge thereof, andits outside depending'portioncarrying the necessary parts to be engaged by parts that are likewiseconnected with the end-gate, a bar having a pivotal connectionwith thesaid plate and with the endgate and readily detachable from each andprovided with sets of perforations adapted to facilitate in shorteningor lengthening the connection between the said plate and the end-gate toaccommodate its connection with any height of wagon-bed, the end-gatehaving side pieces of sheet metal or other suitable engage the said rod,and of other minor details of construction hereinafter particularlymentioned.

That our invention may be more fully understood reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showingour devices applied to a wagon-bed and an end-gate. Fig. 2 is also aside elevation showing the same parts, but in a different relativeposition. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the hangerplate. Fig. 4 is a detailview showing one side of the end-gate as it is viewed from the rear end.Fig. 5 is a detail View of the connecting-bar. Fig. 6 is a detail View.

In the drawings, A is the wagon-body,which is provided with the usualcleats at its rear end, which are indicated by the dotted lines.

B is the end-gate. The end-gate may be made of any suitable material,butwe prefer to make the bottom portion thereof out of wood and the sidepieces of sheet metal, and we provide the side pieces with the hooks b,which are formed simply by bending down small extensions provided on theside pieces, as

plainly shown in the drawings, but in case Wooden side pieces are usedany suitable hook or lug may be provided, the said hooks being adaptedto engage the rods when the end-gate is raised, as shown in Fig. 2.

O is a plate which serves as a hanger, the detail construction ofwhich'is shown in-Fig. 3. This hanger is adapted to be carried over theedge of the wagon-bed, as shown in the figures, and the portion thatdepends on the inside of the bed is adapted to bear against the cleat,as shown, and it is provided with one long straight edge adapted forthis bearing, as shown in the detai c is a pin projection from the lowerend of that portion of the hanger-plate that depends on the outside ofthe wagon-bed, and it is provided with a small tapering projection fromits outer end, which extends laterally therefrom.

. D is a bar provided with the sets of perforations d d d d, theperforations of each set opening into each other, as shown, and areadapted to. be engaged by the pin 0 on the hanger-plate.

E is a plate secured to the rear end of the end-gate and at its outeredge and is provided with a pin-formed projection, which said projection has a laterally-extcndin g tapering lug at its outer end, thepin-formed portion of the plate being adapted to engage an opening inthe end of bar D, having the shape as shown in Fig. 5 and indicated bye, the lug on pin projection from plate E being so directed and theopening in bar D being so placed that in order that the parts may becaused to engage each other the end-gate will have to be lowered to aposition below the plane of the bottom of the wagon-bed, and when suchengagement is made and the end gate is raised slightly or to anydegreeof elevation the parts cannot become disengaged. e provide the sets ofperforations d in order that we may connect the end-gate with any wagonhaving any height of bed and without regard to the different widths ofcleats on different wagonbeds. The connection of the bar D with the pins0 on the hanger-plate C is made in the same manner as the connection ismade of the bar with the end-gate that is, the bar D can only be placedupon the pin when disengaged from the end-gate and turned into a certainposition, and when such engagement is made of the parts and the bar isconnected with the end-gate then the bar cannot be disengaged from pin 0no matter what the adjustment of the end-gate may be. To accommodate theconnection with low or high sides of the wagon-bed and to accommodatethe different distances the cleats are placed from the end of the bed,we simply make the connection of the pins 0 with the proper perforationin bar D, after the hanger-plate C has been properly placed, that willcause the end-gate to be supported at the proper height, in this mannerproviding a "cry simple arrangement of parts to facilitate theadjustment of our de vices in connection with any wagon-bed.

F is a loop adapted to be carried above the edge of the side piece ofthe end-gate, and we connect one of the depending ends of the loop withthe bottom of the end-gate by means of screw-thread and nut, as shown,and the other end of the loop is flattened out and slotted and isconnected with the side piece by means of a bolt. This loop may beraised .or lowered in order to harmonize the adjustment of theshoveling-board as to pitch when connected with different wagon-bedshaving varying heights.

G is a link engaging the loop and is preferably made with a slightcurve.

II is a rod connected with the link and provided with thelaterally-extended lugs h, that bear on the link, and with a hook at itsfree end, the said rod being adapted to be carried in the eye or lug Ion the hanger-plate and is adapted to be engaged by the hook on the rodwhen the end-gate is lowered and serve as a support for the end-gate.

In the above description we have referred to a single set of devices andparts as they are carried upon one side of the wagon-bed and upon oneside of the end-gate, but of course it will be understood that aduplicate set is arranged upon the opposite side and that it isnecessary that both sets be used in carrying out the invention.

The parts having been placed in their relative positions shown in thedrawings, the endgate will be supported in its lowered position in themanner shown in Fig. I, in which case the end-gate will be supported atits lower end by bar D engaging both the hanger-plate and the end-gateand will be supported from its upper edge by means of the rod II engaging the eye or lug I on the hanger-plate. The end-gate will be supportedin position to close the rear end of the wagon-bed in the manner shownin Fig. 2, in which it will be seen that the rod H has passed throughthe eye or lug I and that the curved link Gis carried through the saideye or lug and upon its lower edge and that the said rod H is engaged atits lower end by the hook I) on the side piece of the end-gate, the saidlink G being curved to provide a more positive bearing in the eye or lugI. The link G has quite an extensive scope in its connection with loopF, which is necessary, and the loop is formed so as to provide for thisadjustment, so that when the endgate is connected with a high wagon-bed,which will necessarily carry the hanger-plate at a considerable height,the link G may move toward and, if necessary, to the extreme upper endof the said loop, and when the said parts and the end-gate are connectedwith a low wagon-bed, which will carry the hangerplate in a lowerposition from that just referred to, then the link adjusts itselfautomatically at a lower point in the loop, as will plainly be seenwithout further explanation. Attention is called to Fig. 0, which showsthe manner in which the lugs h bear upon the link, which will preventthe toggle-joint from buckling downward when the end gate is pushed upto close the end of the wagon-bed, and by means of these lugs beingprovided to bear upon the'link in the manner shown when the end-gate israised the rod will be pushed straight ahead until the link enters loopI, at

which time the rod will drop down in readiness to be engaged by thehooks b on the sides of the end-gate.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an end-gate for wagons, the combination of the hanger-plate O,provided with the loop I and the pin 0 having a laterally-extending lugtherefrom; of the bar D, provided with the sets of perforations (Z andwith an elongated perforation at one end thereof adapted to engage a pinor lug on the endgate; the rod H, having a toggle-joint connection withthe loop F on the end-gate and provided with a hook on its free endadapted to engage the loops I on the hanger-plate when the end-gate islowered, the said rod II adapted to be engaged by the lug l) on theend-gate when the end-gate is in an elevated position, substantially asand for the purpose described.

2. In an end-gate for wagons, the combination With the wagon-body, ofthe hanger-plate C, provided with the loop I, and the pin a; theend-gate B, provided with the adjustable loop F; the bar D, providedwith sets of perforations d, adapted to be engaged by pin 0, andprovided with a perforation at one extremity for engaging a lug or pinon the endgate; the rod H connected with the loop F, by means of thelink G, and provided at its free end with a hook adapted to engage theloop I, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with a wagon-body, an end-gate provided with theadjustable loop F, the hanger-plate 0 provided with the loop I, and thepin 0, the bar D, provided at one extremity withan elongated slot 6,engaged by ries of perforations (1, throughout its length for engagingthe pin projection on the hangerplate adapting the end-gate to anyheight of wagon-bed, the rod H, connected to the loop on the end-gatethrough and by means of the link G, and provided with the lugs h,bearing on'the link, and having a hook on its free end adapted to engagethe loop I, on the hanger-plate when the same is lowered, the said rodH, adapted to be engaged by the lug b, on the end-gate when the end-gateis in an elevated position, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK M. PIERCE. ALBERT O. WARNER. Witnesses:

CHAS. W. LA PORTE, W. V. TEFFT.

